Retractable locking assemblies for securing equipment such as ski poles, skis, and the like are well known. Thus, by way of illustration, U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,762 of Catherine M. Vanderweghe discloses a locking assembly external to, and mounted on, a portable or riding device.
The locking assembly described in the Vanderweghe patent is less than ideal. In the first place, it is rather cumbersome to use, requiring locking structure on each of two separate ski poles. Furthermore, because it involves the digital manipulation of several small parts, such as a rewind button 14 and a retractable cover 16, it is often difficult to manipulate by one whose fingers are numbed.
It is an object of this invention to provide a locking structure for ski poles and skis which is relatively easy to use and unobtrusive.
It is another object of this invention to provide a lock which is not attached to one or more ski pole handles and can readily be transferred from one ski pole to another.